Cramps and charley horses

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thedreamhazer
thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Recently (the past couple weeks) I've had some incredibly painful cramps/charley horses. I had one in my calf that was so bad my leg was sore to move and to the touch for days afterwards (felt like it had been bruised). And then, just now, I experience an incredibly painful cramp in my right trap (I get these a lot, not sure why).

I've heard potassium can help stop cramps, but I should be getting plenty. I also drink lots of water. How do you deal with cramps?


[Edited to correct muscle name. Shows what I know!]

Replies

  • Javajunkie67
    Javajunkie67 Posts: 167 Member
    When my DH was getting them, the Dr told him to eat a banana in the mid afternoon and to increase his water intake on hard run days. It made a huge difference for him.

    Good luck, I know they hurt.
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
    Potassium and magnesium supplementation along with stretching.

    They SUCK. :(
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
    Potassium, Taurine and water will help a lot.
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
    When I was pregnant I would occasionally get charlie horses... and I was told to eat a banana every day (yuck, I hate them) and drink lots of water and to watch my sodium intake.
    I hate bananas so I would make banana "ice cream" out of frozen bananas in the food processor, with a scoop of peanut butter and hot chocolate mix for a chocolate peanut butter banana treat. YUM!
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
    Okay, I'm sensing a common theme!

    I'll add a banana to my daily food and see if things improve. Thanks for the input, everyone!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    You may not be getting enough sodium if you are dieting and cutting out a lot of processed food.

    I had this problem a couple of weeks ago. While running, I developed an electrolyte imbalance over a period of weeks in hot weather. For me, it caused the heart to beat irregularly for about 18 hours. Adding some salt back into the diet fixed the problem.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Be sure to stretch well before and after exercising.
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